Quote:
Originally Posted by Mura35
OK.
I can use mobi and azw on Kindle.
I can use epub on Nook and epub and pdf on iPad (iBooks) and eReader.
I can definitely use pdf on eReader and anywhere else, where I can install pdf reader.
Obviously, html and doc/rtf formats are used too, because I see them sold in the same bundle with mobi and epub all over the place.
A couple of years ago FictionWise was offering 2 to 4 formats. ARe is offering at least 2 different formats, sometimes more. Many book publishers offer html, epub, mobi, pdf and doc.
So, we can talk about file extensions instead of book formats, fine. Sums up to pretty much the same thing: Kobo is very restrictive in what it's offering. I am just curious why, since I am not a bookseller and never really looked into that problem.
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ARe gives the option of uploading whatever file formats the author/publisher wants to upload. I do mobi and ePUB because I've only had sporadic requests for PDF and those are from reviewers (Which I do provide). I've been selling on my blog for over a year (.mobi and epub packaged in a zip) and never had another file format requested. We considered doing PDF, but there's just no demand for it that I can see.
Kobobooks probably doesn't have the infrastructure/programming spare time to handle another file type at this time. It took a LONG time for them to get an uploader up and running. It required a lot of programming and is ongoing. They are adding features such as the ability to put a book on sale for x amount of days, better reporting and such. Adding the ability to for another format may or may not be something they are considering. I would guess if they sell enough small publishers/indies it might be something they would consider. The big boys all want DRM and that becomes a more expensive/more difficult thing to code. Right now when I upload a book, I have the option of adding DRM or not. I've tried both ways. I see no real impact on sales MOST of the time, although I know of one instance where a file was mailed to another reader. It is going to happen and I know that. I wouldn't have known about it except the fan wrote and raved about the book...and mentioned her friend had emailed it to her...and most people just don't get the impact that has on sales/authors. They aren't doing it to be malicious; they simply don't think about it.
I'm guessing that sometimes publishers/retailers don't carry mobi because they don't really want to cater to anything that even minutely might help Amazon. They are the competition, after all. Sometimes publishers don't even make their library ebooks available in mobi--and that has to be a bit of a "we don't want to deal with Amazon or cater to them in any way" because there's no other reason to not have the .mobi. At least two books I "Checked out" were "no mobi" copy. I had to read the one on screen and the other I just didn't even bother with.
Just as an aside, creating an epub does involve extra steps (I blame Apple). You now have to run all ePUB files through a verification process that checks for abnormalities in the coding. It's a pain in the neck and doesn't seem to add anything to the reader experience, but since Apple started requiring files be run through this thing, everyone wants it run through. This means there are different 'Verification" tools and I can run my file through 3 of them and they pass ... and then it will fail ARe's checker.
I'd love it if the world decided on one format...but I don't really see that happening and should be grateful there are really only two main ones!